The Flower That Blooms in Adversity
by Heart of the Pheonix
Summary: Lily is the first Potter in two generations to be sorted other than Gryffindor. With new family problems and a new best friend with his own set of problems, as well as being a Slytherin, Lily is in for an interesting few years. Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are also two divorced men. What could possibly happen? LP/SM and eventual HP/DM! Will become rated M in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

"POTTER'S NO LONGER!"

_ In an unexpected occurrence, the Hogwarts' sweethearts have divorced! Files arrived at the Ministry yesterday completed from the parties of Mr. Harry James Potter and recently declared Ms. Ginevra Molly Weasley. Mr. Potter formally declared custody of his children, leading us to believe there was perhaps some infidelity involved on Ms. Weasley's side of the relationship. (continued on page 12)._

"I can't believe it," exclaimed Draco Malfoy.

"What is it dad?" asked soon-to-be 11 year old Scorpius.

"See for yourself son," Malfoy senior said as he passed the Prophet over to his heir.

As Scorpius read, his eyebrows rose. Nothing like this had happened when his father and mother had separated. He had heard rumors that he had been the cause of the break-up, which his grandmother Narcissa immediately refuted. She said that it was because his parents had been arranged to be married right after Hogwarts. Father then said that Scorpius would have his own choice on who to marry.

"What bad timing," Draco remarked as Scorpius laid the paper down.

"True story," Scorpius agreed. How could parents do this to their children right before their return to Hogwarts? Rumors were bound to fly, and with it being Lily Potter's first year even!

"We should probably get a move on if you want to get to King's Cross on time mister," Draco joked. "Wouldn't want to have to show up in the middle of dinner like Potter and Weasley did in their second year, now would we?"

Scorpius knew his father was not on good terms with Harry Potter, even though he tried to play it off. They were acquaintances, nothing more, nothing less. Since grandma had saved Harry Potter's life, Mr. Potter had been able to pardon Draco and Narcissa. Lucius was not as lucky, and was convicted as a Death Eater, sentenced for life in Azkaban. They didn't talk about him much anymore.

As Scorpius moved to gather his trunk, he continued to wonder what the year would be like for the Potter's. He was expected to ridicule them, being a guaranted Slytherin and all, but he had been through the same thing at seven years old. His father had not dated since then, and Scorpius knew he was still somewhat sad about losing Astoria. "This is going to be one confusing year," he concluded.

As they waited to board the train, Scorpius was covertly looking for the Potter family. He didn't have to look though, as everyone went silent as they entered. Mr. Potter, always used to awkward social situations, walked with his head held high. His children tried to follow his example, but it was obvious they were uncomfortable. Scorpius saw his father tilt his head slightly in his peripheral vision. His father was impressed with Mr. Potter's dealings! As shocked as Scorpius was, he remained impassive, ever the Malfoy heir. He wasn't prepared for what happened next, though.

Lily Potter made eye contact with him, and nodded. Shocked, he could only return the gesture. He knew right then that there was something different and special about this one, besides being the only one with the trademark Weasley hair. It had to be her personality. He shook himself mentally and restored his Malfoy mask as he turned to bid his father goodbye.

"Scorpius, remember, no matter which house you make it in, I will always love you," Draco stated. "Your mother will be proud as well, wherever she is." Scorpius smiled, and hugged his father before turning towards the train. He took a deep breath, grabbed his trunk, and made his way onto the train. He quickly found an empty compartment and put his trunk up in the carrier, and began to make himself comfortable. The train whistled, and began to pull out of the station, and with a last wave to his father, he was on his own. It was an odd feeling, knowing he would have to discipline himself to do his homework, maintain a decent sleeping schedule, and communicate with his dad. All this thought of school carried on, up until the door to the compartment opened. Who would have walked in besides Lily Potter herself.

She must not have noticed Scorpius, or maybe she didn't care, because she flopped onto one of the seats and blew her hair out of her eyes while mumbling about stupid brothers. Scorpius cleared his throat, making Lily sit straight as a rod.

'_Platinum blonde hair, aristocratic face, and smirk to match. He can only be…'_

"Scorpius Malfoy?" Lily inquired. Scorpius nodded, keeping his face impassive. Lily tried not to let this intimidate her, and asked the most obvious question.

"Do you mind if I sit here? My brothers are bragging about how I'll complete the Gryffindor Potter set."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow and then nodded. "Why did you need to get away from that? Isn't every Potter a Gryffindor?"

Lily sighed. "One would think that. We're different though. I've known it for a while, and I'm fairly sure dad did too. He gave me the 'no matter what house you're in I'll love you' speal, and then hugged me tighter than usual. Although that could be because I'm his last kid to go to Hogwarts. I don't know, but I'm bracing myself for a surprise at the Sorting anyway."

Scorpius nodded in thought, then proceeded, "Which house do you think you'll be in then, if not Gryffindor, Miss Potter?"

Lily sat and considered for a while, and Scorpius thought she wasn't going to answer. She would open her mouth to start, just to close it again and continue in her thoughts. Finally, she began to speak. "I don't think it will be Gryffindor obviously, or Hufflepuff. I'm not all about that 'love everybody' stuff. It seems to be between Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Ravenclaw would be a fit, seeing as I've always loved learning new things and solving problems but Slytherin could be a good choice as well. I've liked causing the problems as well as mischief, especially pinning my brothers James and Albus against each other. Either way, I'm not entirely sure. I just hope I make some good friends. What house do you think you'll be in Mr. Malfoy?"

"Slytherin. Everyone in my line has been a Slytherin, and my father has always said that I would fit in there extremely well. I personally think that you would make a fine Slytherin as well Lily. You snuck into my compartment without anyone noticing, or they would have come to find you by now. You also are very thorough in your analysis, making you good for planning some good pranks. And if it means anything, I could be your friend. We both have somewhat of the same past what with our parents splitting"

"Stop there Scorpius. I really would rather not think about that right now. If you do indeed want to be my friend, you will respect that for me, okay?"

"Okay Lily, whatever pleases you. But we should probably change into our robes, Hogwarts is only a bit away. I can see the castle outline now."

As they changed, both had the same thought. "How could this have happened?"

Standing outside the Great Hall waiting for the Sorting to begin was the definition of nervous for Lily Potter. Scorpius was cool and collected next to her, while she was fidgeting as if fighting off invisible bugs. Professor McGonagall entered then, and ushered them in. Lily could see James and Albus wave to her, and the rest of the school eying her as well. 'Damn the Daily Prophet,' she thought. Her thoughts were interrupted quite abruptly as McGonagall began to read off the list.

"Abar, Jamison" became the first Hufflepuff.

"Acripar, Dawn" went to Hufflepuff as well.

Lily zoned out soon enough, until Scorpius moved from next to her. Suddenly, at rapt attention, Lily listened to the Sorting Hat. She could hear mumbling, and then Scorpius chuckled. The Hat nodded in agreement and then proclaimed, "SLYTHERIN!" She sighed in relief. He had ended up where he wanted. But where would she end up? At this thought, she was called.

She sat down on the stool and felt the hat slip over her ears. "Another Potter, eh? This is odd. I have never had second thoughts about placing one in Gryffindor. You may be the one to break two generations of Gryffindor! Smart enough for Ravenclaw, social enough for Hufflepuff… Cunning, smart, social, and loyal to your cause, eh? Then it better be… SLYTHERIN!"

Said table rose up in cheers and applause, while the rest of the Great Hall was in shock. A Slytherin Potter? What was one to think? As Lily sat down, she felt all eyes on her. Naively, she placed the blame on the Daily Prophet, as she had all day. Little did she know, everything was about to change, especially when she sat down next to one Scorpius Malfoy.


	2. Chapter 2

Scorpius shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He could feel people staring. Whether it was at him, "the Malfoy reincarnate", or the newly Housed Lily Potter next to him, he was unsure. Taking a breath, Scorpius slyly looked up under his long bangs to see that the occupants of the Great Hall were indeed staring at his new friend. Before he turned to Lily, he noticed her brothers glaring in their direction. Gently, he nudged her in the side.

"Lily, I think your brothers are upset at your Housing result," Scorpius whispered quietly.

"I knew they would be, especially if I was a Slytherin. I'll have to face them sooner or later I suppose," she said loftily.

As she turned back to her meal, Scorpius could've sworn that he heard her sniffle. Deciding not to get in the middle of what would probably be "girl problems", he returned to his meal as well, trying to ignore the ever present stares that he and Lily were receiving. Not soon enough, Headmaster Dumbledore released them to their common rooms.

Following the prefects and remembering the password wasn't too hard for Scorpius or Lily, and as they entered the common room, they agreed to meet in the morning to go down to breakfast together. Scorpius smiled lightly as he went up to find his bed, hardly believing that he had befriended a Potter. A _decent_ Potter even.

Breakfast came, and Scorpius and Lily made their way to the Great Hall to eat. Light conversation was made, and Scorpius wasn't sure if Lily had been crying or hadn't gotten enough sleep. Either way, he left the topic alone. As they approached the entrance to the Great Hall, Lily suddenly switched paths. Scorpius looked about and noticed the male Potters waiting for Lily. He shrugged it off and went to save her a seat.

Lily wasn't sure how to feel. Her brothers looked angry with her, and she was worried they would shun her for her House. She gathered her courage and stalked over to them. James, being the oldest, started the conversation.

"First off, we aren't bothered that you are in Slytherin. Not as much as we thought we would be anyways." Lily let out a sigh of relief.

"But, we _are _bothered by your friend choice," Albus input. Immediately, Lily felt a bit of anger flare up.

"I mean, howcould you be friends with _him_?! After all that his family has done to ours!" James hissed.

"And his father _and _his grandfather were both accused of being _Death Eaters_! Surely you can find less… evil friends than the Malfoy reincarnate, Lils," Albus added in. That was the last straw for Lily.

"I will have you know that _I_ wanted to be _his _friend in the first place! He has been nothing but kind, and since I don't have either of you in my house nor my classes, I thought I should find someone else to depend on as well! He didn't even mention that I came from the Potter family! He is the first person I have ever met who didn't judge me based on what our dad did for the Wizarding world! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go join my _friend_ for breakfast." She turned away in a huff and marched into the Great Hall, taking her seat next to Scorpius.

James and Albus could only stand in shock.

"I've never seen her look so much like mum before," James whispered.

"Kinda terrifying, that was," Albus agreed.

Schedules were passed out at the end of breakfast, and were to begin that day. Lily sighed in contentment, she had been waiting for this her whole life! Scorpius slouched as the schedule was passed to him. Lily just shook her head and pulled Scorpius up with her.

"Come on Scorpius, we have to find the Transfiguration classroom if we want to make it on time. I've heard McGonagall is strict on punctuality, and I would rather _not _earn a detention on our first day," Lily ranted. Scorpius nodded in agreement, although he would much rather have an extra day to get used to Hogwarts. Finding their way around was going to be terrible, every first year knew that. Once the Slytherin first years noticed Scorpius and Lily leaving, they followed, not wanted to be late or get trapped by one of the staircases.

Transfiguration was luckily not involved with the staircases, and the first years made it with five minutes to spare. Confusion swept through the group as they realized that there were Gryffindors in the room as well. McGonagall swept in and went immediately to her desk.

"Quiet please! Yes, this is a joint class. If you had read through your schedule more thoroughly, you would know that", McGonagall chided.

"Now, this is Transfiguration. As the name suggests, we will be transfiguring object into different objects entirely. This will be a reading lesson only, to acquaint you with the magic you will be dealing with for the rest of your life." The first years all groaned at this, but hushed almost instantly as McGonagall sent them a glare.

"Transfiguration is harder than it seems. It is best to read ahead rather than just try, lest we start the year off with an accident. In time, you will become very good at working with transfiguration, and some of you will be so advanced you can register as an Animagus."

"What's an Animagus?" a short brunette Gryffindor asked.

"Ms. Leon, I would advise you to raise your hand next time. Since most of you are looking a tad bit bewildered, I will show you." McGonagall closed her eyes, and she transformed into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes. As if to prove she was a cat, she meowed. The class stared in awe, while some openly remarked on how they would become an Animagus as well.

"It isn't as easy as it seems, but with enough resolve, the Animagus transformation can be achieved. I advise you to not attempt this until _at least _your seventh year, as it can be deadly if performed wrong," McGonagall advised. "Now open your books to the first chapter _The Basics of Transfiguring, _and read it through. I expect thorough notes on what you have read, due next class."

The day continued on similarly, although no teacher had examples quite as stunning as Professor McGonagall. Lily and Scorpius were still talking about it quite animatedly on their way to the common room after dinner. They had already waded through their homework that was due the next day, neither having much trouble with the work. The amount of homework would indeed take some getting used to. -

A few months passed, and Christmas had passed. Lily was admiring the Slytherin pendant she had received from Scorpius, while Scorpius was toying around with his new Wizard Chess Set. Each had caught up on their homework, and were even ahead in some classes. Nothing interested had happened, only Quidditch games. Ravenclaw was currently in the lead for the House Cup, not that Scorpius cared. He was more focused on how nice Lily looked lately. He wasn't sure what it was, but she looked _different. _

In the middle of February, Scorpius finally got up the courage to ask.

"Lily, did anything happen over break? You seem… different," Scorpius asked tentatively.

"Different how?" she asked curiously.

"Good different. I'm just not sure why you are different though."

"To be honest, I think I'm finally coming to terms with my mum leaving. We've been owling, and she said it wasn't because of us. She just wasn't completely happy. Said she might come back once she fulfills her life a bit more," Lily said in hope. Scorpius smiled lightly, but inside he was worried for her. His mom had made those promises too, years ago. She still hadn't come back. She had stopped owling him before his ninth birthday. He couldn't say he wasn't happy for her newfound hope, of course not. But he didn't want his Lily to get hurt. '_My__ Lily? Did I seriously just think that?'_ Scorpius brushed it off, accounting it to the fact that he and Lily were closer, and more akin to best friends now. His father had even accepted that he was friends with a Potter, albeit he was a bit wary still. It seemed things could actually be nice for a while.

Scorpius was wrong. Near the middle of April, Lily received a letter at breakfast. She beamed, seeing it was from her mum. Scorpius watched her carefully, as he had been since their last conversation about Lily's mum. She read avidly, her smile growing throughout the letter. As she neared the end, Scorpius noticed that her smile had gone stale. She folded up the letter and put it in her bag, and then ordered Scorpius that they had to go to class. He could tell something was wrong, but what could it be? She obviously hadn't stopped responding, as his mother had. As they walked into Slughorn's potions class, he decided it could wait.

Lily threw herself into her work the next few weeks, always being ahead on homework and studying every spare second. Scorpius knew that something must be really wrong to make her need to distract herself that much. He also noticed that letters from her mother came few and far between. During the early weeks of May, right before exams, Lily worked herself into exhaustion. Her magic was sluggish, and the bags under her eyes had become extremely noticeable. Scorpius convinced her to go to the Hospital Wing, where Madame Pomfrey deemed Lily had to stay for the next day to catch up on her sleep and health. Scorpius took her bag, with the promise of taking good notes for her, but he knew he would be distracted all day until curfew.

He worked all through the classes, taking as thorough notes as he could and including the practice assignments Lily would have to complete. By the time dinner came, Scorpius was almost bouncing out of his seat. He scarfed down his meal and all but ran to his dorm. Closing the curtains of his four poster and casting a quick _Lumos_, he dug into the pocket he had seen her place the letter in all those weeks before. He questioned his actions as he grabbed the letter, but he couldn't resist. Unfolding the letter, he began to read.

_My dearest Lily,_

_I know things have been hard for you since I left. I do love you, you know that right? I could never not love you, even if you are a Slytherin haha. You know that I have been going about the Wizarding world trying to find something that piques my interest, and I must say I certainly did! Lily, you're going to have another sibling! Albeit they will be a half sibling, but isn't it exciting? It was a complete accident, I'll admit, but Phillip and I have a reason to marry now! I wasn't sure how to go about it, with the…incident…happening fairly recently. Please don't hate me Lilyflower. I feel as though I could finally be content with my life, breaking the expectations that everyone had had of me. _

_I love you so very much,_

_Mum._

Scorpius dropped the letter in shock. No wonder Lily had been so upset. Her mother was basically starting a new life without her! The fact that Lily would know he read the letter if it was damaged was the only thing that kept him from setting it aflame.

'_I've been there. She may not have done that, but she has left me behind. I have to cheer up Lily. I'm the only one who knows this, and has been through it. That's what friends are for, right?' _Scorpius mused to himself.

With a new resolve, and possibly some left over anger, Scorpius began to write to one Mr. Harry Potter. He would know how to make Lily okay again. He could help Scorpius be a best friend to his daughter


	3. Chapter 3

The response came almost immediately. Scorpius received the letter at breakfast the next day, and played it off as a pureblood invitation to an end of the year party. This wasn't a total lie, seeing as he had received a letter from his father earlier in the year warning him to be prepared for a "surprise party" in honor of his first year at Hogwarts. Scorpius shook his head, chastising himself. '_I need to stay focused. I need to help Lily through this.'_ He left the table early with the excuse of needing to grab his books for morning classes, and instead headed towards the library.

Finding the most enclosed section of the library, Scorpius took the letter from his pocket and opened it gently. Drawing in a breath to prepare himself for some sort of jibe against his family, he began to read.

_Scorpius,_

_While I am quite surprised to hear from you, especially after the assumptions people have made about the relationship between our families, I am glad you wrote to me. I haven't kept up correspondence with Ginny since we split up, but I can't say I'm surprised this happened. She had been acting odd towards the end… Anyways, you were right to write me as soon as you found out. Lily was very close to her mum, being the only girl and the youngest, so I can only imagine what she is going through. I've never been good at the emotions thing, but I'm glad she is at least being productive through her hurt. I'm going to send her some chocolate frogs and the like, while I suggest you continue to make sure she is doing well. You are a good friend Scorpius._

_-Mr. Potter_

Scorpius sighed in annoyance. That didn't help much at all! Sure she would have some chocolate, but chocolate only lasts so long! There had to be something.

Then it hit him.

The Potter family he knew were all fairly good Quidditch players. Maybe Lily and he could sneak out to the pitch later tonight and have a fly. That always took his mind off of the bad things. Scorpius gathered up his supplies and headed towards the Charms classroom. '_I really hope this works,' _he thought to himself.

"Scorpius, are you sure we should be doing this?" Lily hissed to him as they left the common room later that evening.

"I thought you were one for mischief Miss Potter?" He responded teasingly. Lily huffed, but didn't complain. They made it outside without being caught, and Scorpius grabbed Lily's hand and drug her towards the quidditch pitch.

"Scorpius will you _please _tell me why we're out here?!" Lily asked in annoyance.

"You'll see. Now, wait here. I'll be right back." Scorpius then headed towards the Slytherin lockers, which had been left open on 'accident'. He had come out here earlier and made sure that the door would seem to lock, but would remain accessible. Quickly, he made his way through the lockers and picked two decent brooms, and ran back towards Lily. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the brooms, letting Scorpius know he had done the right thing. He silently held them out to her, and she picked the one she wanted and immediately took off into the night sky.

She looked like herself again, carefree and happy. He began to chase her around the pitch, both of them laughing and teasing at the game they had started. Time passed too fast for either of their liking, but with exams a week away, they had to get to sleep soon. They raced to beat each other to the ground, Scorpius letting Lily win to make her mood even better.

"Thank you Scorpius. I really needed that," Lily said shyly.

"What are best friends for? You looked pretty down lately," he admitted. Lily hummed in agreement, and they let the conversation drop. Feeling the uncomfortable air beginning to set around them, Scorpius urged Lily to go ahead back to the common room. After some disagreement, she finally agreed, and hugged him before trudging back up to the castle.

"True friends are those that don't worry about the consequences to make their comrades content," a voice spoke from behind Scorpius. He whipped around, and there stood Headmaster Dumbledore.

"Sir, we were just-"

"Worry not, my dear boy, you aren't in trouble this evening. I do commend you on your growing friendship with Miss Potter, especially with all that she has been through. I've heard that you have been through the same?" Dumbledore inquired politely. Scorpius straightened up in indignation, then realized that if he wasn't getting in trouble, Dumbledore at least deserved the truth.

"Yes sir," he whispered quietly.

"Alas, it is those who have hurt the most who know how to aid those in pain," Dumbledore mused. "I believe you should be heading up to bed Mr. Malfoy. Exams are next week you know."

"Yes sir," Scorpius agreed. "I just need to put these away."

"No trouble," Dumbledore chuckled, as he waved his hand and the brooms whizzed back into the Slytherin locker room. "Now, back to the castle with you." Scorpius nodded, and made his way back to his common room, thinking about what Dumbledore had said. '_What an odd man,'_ he pondered to himself.

Exams were upon them, and Lily and Scorpius had never been more exhausted. To credit himself though, Lily did look more relaxed lately, even with the stress of exams. It was the last day of exams, and both felt they had done fairly well, even in History of Magic with old Binns. They were sitting down for breakfast when the mail arrived, and a school owl flew down to Lily with all of her favorite candies. She squealed in delight, and was even happier when she saw they were from her father. Scrawling a quick thank you on his note, she sent it back with the owl to her dad. Scorpius also had received something. A letter and a pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. He placed them both in his bag before Lily could notice, and made a quick excuse of needing to use the bathroom before their Defense exam.

As he made his way to the bathroom, he took out the letter and examined it. No sign of a sender, which ruled out any of his family. Opening it carefully, he leaned against the sinks, and began to read.

_Scorpius,_

_Lily wrote me, and I could tell that she is much happier. I don't know what you did, and as long as it was honorable, I don't care. Thank you. I told your father about what you did as well when I met him in Diagon Alley. We have come to decide that if you and Lily are going to be friends, we should at least be on comfortable terms. Both of us will be waiting at King's Cross for you and Lily to discuss your friendship. Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Just establishing boundaries for who can go where and where you can go. You are one fine young man, I've decided. Lily couldn't make a better friend I think._

_Thank you,_

_Mr. Potter_

_PS the Bertie Bott's are from your father, I thought you should get some sort of good since I sent Lily a mountain._

Scorpius pocketed the letter and made his way to the Great Hall. Suddenly, the Defense exam didn't seem so daunting.

On the train ride back to King's Cross, Lily and Scorpius rambled on about everything that had happened this year. They also started making their way through what was left of Lily's candy from her father, and that was a feat in its own. When Harry had said a mountain, he surely meant it! The ride back seemed almost half as long as the ride to Hogwarts, and before they knew it, they had pulled into the station. Scorpius grabbed both of their trunks, ever the gentleman, and they made their way onto the platform. Lily saw her father almost immediately, and recognized Mr. Malfoy next to him.

"Scorpius, why are our parents standing together?" Lily mumbled.

"They heard about us being friends and decided they should be as well," Scorpius informed her. Lily nodded, but still looked a bit worried. Scorpius didn't understand why, but maybe it was just her homesickness wearing off. They made it to their parents and each received a hug upon arrival. Harry even offered Scorpius a handshake, which he accepted gratefully. Draco introduced himself to Lily, and they began discussing the formalities of their Scorpius and Lily's friendship. Nothing was very easily defined while standing in a loud and crowded train station, especially since it was a boy-girl friendship. Sleepovers seemed a bit too awkward, but the children soon convinced them that if they stayed at the others house, they could be watched by the responsible parent. Both parents reluctantly agreed.

Scorpius saw Lily's body tense out of the corner of his eye, but before he could ask what was wrong, she quieted him with a glance. He covertly glanced around, and noted that her brothers were coming this way. He could understand that she was probably a bit nervous after not having seen or talked to them almost all term. As he turned back to the conversation, he noticed Lily playing with her hands, seemingly unable to stand still. Suddenly, her brothers were upon them.

"Why are you associating with _them_?!" James asked in obvious anger.

And now, Scorpius understood Lily's tension.


	4. Chapter 4

Lily inhaled sharply, and looked to her dad for help. He looked almost as helpless as the Malfoys looked hurt. They hid it well, but becoming friends with Scorpius had taught her to see basic feelings under the mask he held in public. Her anger rose from deep within, and before she could stop herself she exploded.

"James and Albus Potter! How dare you say something so hurtful to my best friend and his dad! In case you don't recall, the only reason dad defeated Voldemort was because of Narcissa _Malfoy_!" Lily all but yelled. At this point, the boys at least had the audacity to look ashamed. They hung their heads and mumbled an apology to the Malfoy men, but Lily could still see the hurt in Scorpius' eyes and the shame in Draco's. All too soon, they were excusing themselves. Lily glared at her brothers, while Harry just ran his hand through his famous Potter mop.

Lily grabbed her father's hand and insisted on apparating home immediately. Harry sighed and grabbed James who grabbed Albus, and they popped to the Potter household. Lily went up to her room, ignoring her trunk and her brothers. Slamming her door, she took out a spare piece of paper and scrawled a quick note to Scorpius and Draco apologizing for her brothers' insensitivity. She ran back downstairs and found the family owl Bea waiting on her perch. The note was tied to her leg and Lily directed Bea to take the letter to the Malfoy household immediately. Bea took off and flew off into the distance. Then a hand was placed on Lily's shoulder. She sighed, turning around to face her father.

Silently he led her into the kitchen and sat her at the table. Harry spoke first.

"Lily, you know I've never been good at the whole feelings thing. I can say that I'm sorry for how your brothers spoke to the Malfoys, especially since Mr. Malfoy and I are coming to better terms. They will be getting a stern talking to, and then tomorrow we are going to meet the Malfoys for lunch so they can apologize directly to them. I know it isn't much, but that's all I can think to do. These are the times that I do wish your mother had stayed," Harry trailed off. Lily sighed, and decided there was no better time than the present to let him know. She walked over to her trunk, ignoring her dad's questions, and dug out the letter she had received all those months ago.

"Lily, what's wrong?" Harry inquired. Silently, she handed over the letter.

As Harry read, Lily could see him approving of her continuing mothering. When he reached the end though, his knuckles became white, and the anger rose in his eyes.

"Is this why you were so upset before exams? Why didn't you tell me?" his voice rose with each word.

"I thought it would hurt you more daddy," Lily answered honestly. "How did you know that I was upset before exams?" she asked in confusion. Now Harry looked very uncomfortable. "Dad, tell me," Lily requested. "Well, Scorpius noticed you seemed a bit upset and wrote me. He didn't know what was wrong," Harry said, quickly defending Scorpius as he saw the anger growing in his daughter, "but he wanted to make you feel better. That's what inspired me to befriend his father. I decided if my daughter had such a good friend in his son, then maybe he couldn't be all that bad. It turns out we have a lot in common as well."

"Like what?" Lily asked. "It turns out that Astoria, Scorpius' mother, left them too," Harry said gently. Lily gasped. Why hadn't he told her? He had to have known that her mum had left her, especially with the Daily Prophet blaring her life across their front page. Shaking off her thoughts, she hugged her father tight. She knew that he was doing his best with what he had left, and she appreciated him more than ever right now.

"Now Lily, you wanna go get your brothers for me?" Harry asked with a smirk. Lily giggled and nodded, then bolted upstairs to get them.

The Leaky Cauldron was packed, as always, but Lily didn't care as much as she usually would. She would see her best friend today! It had only been a day, but after spending almost every day with him during term, she had missed him more than she thought. As if fate could hear her thoughts, the Malfoys walked in at that moment. Lily had to restrain herself from jumping up in excitement, but she could at least wave them over. Harry stood up to meet Draco, and as Lily watched the interaction, she could swear she saw a small blush creep across her father's cheeks. Deciding to talk to him about it later, Lily jumped up to hug Scorpius hello. They each sat, with the Potter boys on one side and the Malfoys and Lily on the other. Harry nudged James in his side, and looking sheepish, he spit out a generic apology. Albus followed with his own apology, and after being judged by Draco, he nodded sharply.

Lunch after that was a less tense affair, although it was odd to have her brothers near her best friend. They seemed to be getting along in some way though. Lily almost laughed out loud. All of the animosity between the Potters and the Malfoys seemed to fade away in this lunch, although Draco was obviously still guarded. What kind of Malfoy would he be if he wasn't?

The time with Scorpius ended too soon for Lily's liking, and then it was time to go home. After a pleasant goodbye, Lily convinced her dad to let them go to Uncle Fred and George's shop. Harry hesitated. He hadn't really spoken to anyone from Ginny's family since they split up, but Lily was hard to say no to. Steeling himself, he nodded, and the children all but shot to the twins' shop.

"Lily! Albus! James!" the twins called out in excitement. "How was Hogwarts for you Lily?"

"Oh, no trouble like you had in your day, but it was still pretty great!" she answered happily. Everything was going great until Harry walked in. He had taken his time getting there, trying to prepare himself for anything the twins had to throw at him. The tension immediately rose in the shop, and Harry's defenses shot up. Fred and George approached him, and the children waited with bated breath. The twins couldn't take it anymore, and both broke out in grins. "Harry, it's been forever!" Fred all but shouted, and George took Harry in a bear hug.

Harry laughed away his tension and began to discuss the past few months with some of his favorite Weasleys, while the kids browsed through the shop and picked out their annual end of the year goods. Everyone left in high spirits, Harry from being accepted by his old family, and the children with bags full of goods. No harmful pranks were allowed in the house, but candy and harmless pranks were fair game for the family to get each other. Lily wondered how so much could change but remain the same. Her family may be smaller in size, but in heart she had the Malfoys, some of the Weasleys, the Potters of course, and her house back at Hogwarts. She had never felt so safe.


	5. Chapter 5

Lily made her way sleepily down to breakfast at home. It had felt wonderful to sleep without worries for a while. That is, until she saw her dad pacing across the living room. Harry noticed his daughter watching him from the stairs, and wordlessly motioned to the paper on the table. Lily sighed. The Daily Prophet laid there, and as of late, it could only be filled with slander. She prepared herself for more hits against her split family, but she need not to. The front page had targeted someone else.

_ PAST DEATH EATER MALFOY EATING LUNCH WITH POTTER FAMILY?_

_This reporter was sitting in the Leaky Cauldron for a bit of lunch when the Potters came in. Nothing out of the ordinary besides the obviously absent mother of course, but that isn't what caught my attention. In walk the Malfoy family, and rather than sitting on their own, they immediately went over to the Potters. The meeting seemed well received and quaint, making us at the Daily Prophet wonder what Mr. Draco Malfoy could possibly have up his sleeve. Is it possible that Malfoy could be trying to befriend Potter simply to try and cleanse his name? Or does he have a darker intention in mind? After the past of Malfoy senior, we're leaning toward the latter. Quality news brought to you by Rita Skeeter._

Lily almost screamed in outrage.

Scorpius traipsed down to the dining room for breakfast with his father. His spirits had risen considerably after the amiable meeting with the Potter family, and he was sure his father felt more welcome as well. Too involved in his own thoughts, Scorpius didn't notice the stressed look his father wore. It was as he was buttering his toast that the newspaper was flung in front of him. Out of habit, he read the headline.

Nobody could have prepared for what happened next.

Lily had calmed considerably after her father had stormed to the Daily Prophet office. She was certain he could and would get that vile Skeeter woman fired. She was unwinding on the couch when Draco was shot out of the Floo.

"Lily, you need to come with me now. It's Scorpius." Seeing the terror in her eyes, she immediately jumped off the couch, and followed Draco into the Floo. She emerged into the welcome area of St. Mungos Hospital. Draco immediately grabbed her hand and drug her with him towards the lifts. Feeling horror creep up her spine, she finally thought to ask Draco what was wrong. In between pants, he explained that he had seen the Daily Prophet and had lost control of his magic in a way Draco had never seen.

*_Flashback*_

_Scorpius' toast fell from his mouth. Draco eyed him warily, "son, do you want to talk about it?" The next thing Draco knew, the room was shaking and objects were flying throughout the air at a rapid speed. Scorpius let out a scream of pure rage and the objects sped up. Thinking quickly, Draco made his way towards Scorpius, dodging the objects except for that pesky candlestick that had been house in the corner. It whipped into his side, knocking the breath out of him, but he persevered. He had to get to his son. The whirlwind was starting to tornado around Scorpius when Draco reached him. Doing the only thing he could think of, Draco embraced him. _

_Scorpius immediately went limp, and Draco looked him over. No bruises or cuts. But from the pulse Draco was feeling, Scorpius needed medical help. Now._

_*End Flashback* _

Lily teared up. She couldn't imagine how terrifying that must have been, especially since Scorpius was so generally so calm. They had reached his room now, and Draco led her in, disregarding the healer's warnings about immediate family only. The head healer was waiting for them next to Scorpius' bed, and Draco demanded to know what was wrong with his son.

"He's been stabilized, but it seems that the expelling of that much magic caused him to go into a self-induced coma." Draco gasped.

"When will he…._will _he wake up?" Draco asked softly.

"It could be a few hours, it could be a few years. Once his body decides that he is mentally and magically stable. We stabilized his vitals, but that is all we can do right now. Once he can stabilize himself, we can begin to work with him. He will be hooked up to food sources and an IV to keep him hydrated, but that is all that we can do at this point. I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy," the healer said apologetically.

Lily didn't notice the tears rolling down her face until she saw tears in Draco's eyes. She couldn't bear the desperate feeling she had. Sitting down next to Scorpius, she took his hand. He didn't respond, but simply kept breathing.

"He has to come out of this. He _has _to," she sobbed. Draco came up and sat next to her.

"He will," he said assuredly. "He's just as stubborn as his grandfather, Lily. He will."

The pair sat together, crying for Scorpius and his recent fate. He was still alive and for that they were grateful. But how long would it be until they saw his lively eyes? His bright smile? How long until they heard his joyful laugh, or his snarky comments?

Lily only cried harder.

Calm for the moment, Lily went to Floo her dad. She had left without any forewarning.

"Lily! Where did you go? You can't just leave without telling me, I was worried sick!" Harry yelled.

"Dad, I'm at St. Mungos with Draco," she stated without feeling. Immediately, his countenance changed.

"I'm coming through." Lily took a few steps back, and then he was there.

"What happened?" he asked quietly. Lily recounted the story and Harry's expression grew somber. Soon, they were at his room. She knocked quietly, knowing Draco needed some time to get himself somewhat together.

"Come in," they heard hoarsely.

Harry gasped when he saw Scorpius lying on the bed, and ran to Draco. Harry enveloped him in a hug, and unable to help himself, Draco broke down again. Lily took her post next to Scorpius and watched him. They had been told he would unlikely respond for at least two to three weeks, but hope had always been one of her strong points. She spoke to him softly, reassuring that there were people waiting for him who cared for him deeply. Harry came up behind Lily and hugged her, and she felt the tears make their way down her face again.

Her hair felt wet, too. That's when she realized her dad was crying with her. For her best friend. For this boy he hardly knew. Draco watched with glazed eyes, unable to comprehend what was happening beyond his son's situation. He watched, and it dawned on him. Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world, cared about his son. Knowing he wasn't the only one terrified about his son, Draco was able to doze off in his chair. He knew Harry would watch. He always had.


End file.
